"The X Factor" (2004) TV series 2004-????

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Release Date:

4 September 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Music

Tagline:

It's time to face the music

Plot Keywords:

Talent Show | Non Fiction

Awards:

6 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Louis Walsh	...	Himself - Judge (94 episodes, 2004-2008)
Simon Cowell	...	Himself - Judge (92 episodes, 2004-2008)
Sharon Osbourne	...	Herself - Judge (64 episodes, 2004-2007)
Dermot O'Leary	...	Himself - Presenter (58 episodes, 2007-2008)
Dannii Minogue	...	Herself - Judge (58 episodes, 2007-2008)

Runtime:

UK:60 min (including commercials)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Company:

Fremantle Media

Quotes:

Simon Cowell: [to a bad auditionee] You couldn't win this competition even if you were the only one in it!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ricky Gervais Live 3: Fame (2007) (V)

" No Mas . No Mas " ...

... Screamed Roberto Duran as he walked out of his legendary bout with Sugar Ray Leonard . After seeing the first three editions of THE X FACTOR I also have to scream " NO MORE . NO MORE " and walk away from this TV concept that is doing my brain no good . Call it what you want but it's just FLOP IDOL under a different name

And after seeing POP IDOL , American IDOL , POP STARS THE RIVALS etc we know what to expect by now . The trailers revolve around Simon Cowell being interviewed : " I think we'll be seeing some outstanding talent "

Cut to some loser making a fool of themselves

" I doubt if we'll see one bad singer "

Cut to bad singer

YAWN

In order to make a fast buck the criteria has changed . Instead of singers aged 18 to 26 the entry criteria for auditions are for singers aged 18 to 24 , 25 plus , and groups . There's also a ridiculous judge in the shape of Sharon Osbourne . Forgive me for asking but is she actually a big name in music management ? I know she manages her husband ( Obviously very badly ) who's only claim to fame is that he's one of the very few rock superstars from the 1970s to be still breathing and without a criminal conviction for downloading child porn . I also find Sharon's use of the word " fabulous " very irritating . " Oh you look fabulous darling . Darling what a fabulous voice you have . Fabulous , fabulous , fabulous " You'd have thought being married to Ozzy for all these years she'd happily believe Professor Stephen Hawking has a fabulous voice . Is she the best judge the producers could find ?

What's really irritating me about this show is that there's not enough emphasis on the deluded idiots who insist on turning up to make an idiot of themselves . There has been glimpses though not enough for my liking and it wasn't until the third episode we had a couple of classics . One was a male Princess Diana lookalike who informed the panel that he was 144 years old while another came in dressed up as Guy Fawkes and did a rap number and tried to give the judges a copy of his video which they refused because both the video and the singer stank . No I don't mean his singing was awful ( It was ) but because the Guy Fawkes lookalike had terrible B.O

Maybe it was wrong of me to comment on this show long before it has finished its run , but I am getting very fed up with this annual contest which only exists to make revenue for advertisers and a fast buck for Cowell's record label . Last year's POP IDOL was won by Michelle McManus who was a body even more unattractive than Mick McManus the wrestler and who has failed to shift records in any large numbers and hopefully the winner of THE X FACTOR will go on to even smaller things . Does the country that gave the world The Beatles really need these talent shows ?

No mas please